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MARCH 2011 SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR MARCH 2011 SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR parlor showcase parlor showcase by Bart Mendoza n there was really nothing like that around, it n ed naming them by number, even though by He considers that audiences in Europe are e e s s r ention Billy Watson to blues afi - r e was like ‘Bruce Springsteen at the Circuit’; it e the time they got to their fourth record, it more receptive to the blues. “Most of them d d The MANY fAceS Of BILLY WATSON n cionados and you’ll get an instant was Asbury Park. But here the music scene n A A wasn’t called Led Zeppelin 4 , but people just are,” he said. “They’re at least civil,” he joked. s s i smile. Best known for his virtuoso was a little diverse, I thought.” i n n called it that. I just get a kick out of it.” “Here, they’ve just seen it all, they’re done. n n e harmonica playing, he’s also a A show by the Paladins convinced him e The next disc will be called appropriately They’re just to cool. The cell phone phenome - D D : genuinely nice man with a pas - : o that music was the way to go. “And then I o t BBIILLLLYY WWAATTSSOONN t enough, Secret 8 and is already in the non [for example], that just blows my mind, o o h sion for music that is contagious. He makes went and saw the Paladins; that took it to h process of recording, with an eye toward a the complete rudeness of the people here. It’s P M P music because he loves it, simple as that. another level. I was listening to music at that LLoovvee WWhhaatt YYoouu DDoo late 2011 release. “I don’t like to take a lot of sad.” He’s released seven albums to date, but even time and pop music was just terrible. As soon time and spend a lot of money making these He notes that there has been a slight if you don’t own one of those, chances are, if as I saw Dave Gonzalez come out and that records,” Watson said. “I know it sounds self- resurgence in blues based music in recent you’re a blues fan, you’ve heard his music. In room was full of people swing dancing and deprecating, but I didn’t feel that I was good years. “People are tired of the pop scene, concert he has been heard performing having a good time, that was it. I was enough to be putting out records and spend - tired of being told what’s cool; they want to alongside such luminaries as Robin Henkel, hooked.” Watson soon met other key players ing thousands of dollars, because I wasn’t hear real musicians playing real instru - the Mississippi Mudsharks, 2000 lbs. of such as James Harmon. “Eventually I got to going to make the money back. I was just ments,” he said. He cites Karl Cabbage, Anna Blues, the Blues Pharaohs, the Boogiemen, hang out with these guys; they were my going to have them under my bed and it Troy, and the Red Fox Tails among his the Joint Chiefs, and Blue Largo, to name a mentors.” might take two years to sell them, maybe favorite young musicians. few. Meanwhile, he can be found on many By 1992 he had begun his career as a eight years [laughs]. So I just like to do these If it seems like Watson is enthusiastic artists’ recordings, including Jack Costanzo, musician. “The music and art [crossed over],” fast; I’m not really picky. If you listen to about educating future generations of musi - Anna Troy, Billy Bacon and the Forbidden he said. “We were having art shows and we some of them, someone with a trained ear cians about the blues. He said, “You’re right. I Pigs, and Todd Steadman and the Fat Tones. would hand out percussion instruments. He might think ‘oh that sounds terrible,’ but don’t think people care about history any - He also takes part in Thomas Yearsley’s soon ran an open mic session in Carlsbad. “I they’re pretty easy going.” That said, Lucky more and they don’t learn from it. Society is Exotiki group, performing Polynesian- learned a lot about people and musicians Seven is the complete opposite of that sort of riddled with that. For example, Carlsbad has Hawaiian tunes on the bongos. and what to deal with. There were some real production. a B17 [plane] that lands there every year. And The San Diego Troubadour was fortunate tough times there. Musicians and artists are “It was like my Apocalypse Now sort of the kids get forced to go to it in a Boys Scout enough to sit down for a conversation with difficult some times [laughs]. There’s egos record; it cost a lot of money, it took a lot of troop or something for a field trip. The kids Watson last month, at Berkley Sound studios. and everyone’s sensitive. I’m not saying I’m time. I had all these guys – Junior Watson, go in it and there’s an old guy there who was What’s most evident is Watson’s love of mak - excluded from that, I fall right into that cat - James Harman in the control room, Thomas a belly gunner standing there and he could ing music and also his wicked sense of egory, but you kind of get seasoned at it. You Yearsley’s whole studio, Nathan James, tell them all about about 18 or 20 missions he n humor. Below are excerpts from that inter - want to do it with love and keep it cool. It all e s Johnny Vaiu. I had this big cast. By the end went on before he was shot down and nearly r view; further excerpts can be seen and heard e comes back to just surrounding yourself with d of it, I was like, that took a lot of time and killed. [Meanwhile] the kids are just running n on the San Diego Troubadour ’s home page: A people that want to do that.” money! I was a Nathan James’ house and he around the thing like it’s a big jungle gym. s i sandiegotroubadour.com. Though Watson can be found playing n n was getting ready to go out on tour; he had a They don’t care. They don’t even know what e Ironically, though Watson is now consid - under all sorts of situations from solo to side - D whole band there, a trio. They were there that plane did. That’s just an example. [But] : o ered a top musician, all early indications man, he prefers fronting his own band, Billy t o and we started recording. We recorded a take that and magnify it and it goes across h were that he would spend his time doing Watson and the International Silver String P whole record in one sitting, one take to Pro the board. You could punch that in on poli - something else. Born in New York, Watson is Submarine Band. “I actually stole that from Tools and Nathan’s like, ‘Yeah I can mix that tics, the way we fight wars, the way we treat a native of Jersey City, graduating from the an episode of the Little Rascals ,” he revealed. later today.” So I thought let’s just make a our society.” New York School of Visual Arts with a The tale involves the youngsters in the series record! I wanted to do another ‘fasty,’ get it Watson is more than happy with his life Bachelors degree. Post-college he was soon getting a gig and the trials and comedic out of my system, and start something new as a musician, though he notes that support drawn to California for the surfing, arriving mayhem that ensue. “What I dig about it [laughs].” for the arts in a city the size of San Diego in 1988. now is that it closely parallels all the bull should be more prevalent among the public. “I just got tired of the East Coast,” he said. crap that musicians go through. Back then “There’s a lot of talent in San Diego,” he “I had a friend that lived in La Jolla; he was a and even today.” “I wanted to make it opined. “But, you know? With the millions of civil engineer with the Navy. So, I had a It’s been joked that Watson’s band has a people that live here, they should be sup - place to live for a month or two to get estab - cast of thousands and while that is a slight so funny that even the porting art and music much better. I always lished. At first, I thought I would come out exaggeration, you never know who might be kid around and like to say that if you don’t here for a vacation but I just stayed. “ in his band on any given night. His website support art and music in your neighborhood, He initially made his name locally as an lists 20 musicians that join in from guitarist most uptight guy would it won’t be long before it looks like Temecula artist, exhibiting his paintings in local cof - Buzz Campbell (Sha Na Na, Hot Rod Lincoln) [laughs].” feehouses. While he had success selling his to bassist Greg Willis (Iron Butterfly, Candye crack a smile. Because While Watson plans to continue making work (over 300 pieces), the grind of moving Kane).

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